


I'll be holding onto you

by Pansexualweirdo



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Ashley Is An Excellent Wingwoman, Attempt at Humor, Autumn, Based On A Moment From Chapter 5, Brief Mention Of Politics, Dark Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Insecure Sal, Larry Johnson Loves Sal Fisher, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, No Spoilers, Prosthesis, Recreational Drug Use, Romance, Sal Fisher and Larry Johnson Are Not Related, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unresolved Sexual Tension, title from a twenty one pilots song, you know which one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22022818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pansexualweirdo/pseuds/Pansexualweirdo
Summary: “Hey, Larry?”“Yeah? What’s up?”“Do you… Do you think anyone could ever love me like they love each other?”Or; A fix-it one-shot based on a scene from chapter 5 because I need to heal. The dialogue in the beginning of the fic is canon-compliant, only it's tweaked a little. Important to note is that Larry and Sal are not related in this fic, nor are they canonically, really. If you're cool with that and want a face full of tooth-rotting fluff, I wish you a happy reading time! <3
Relationships: Ashley Campbell & Sal Fisher & Larry Johnson & Todd Morrison, Sal Fisher & Larry Johnson - Relationship, Sal Fisher/Larry Johnson, Todd Morrison/Neil
Comments: 9
Kudos: 193





	I'll be holding onto you

“Hey, Larry?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Do you… Do you think anyone could ever love me like they love each other?” asked Sal, voice laced with uncertainty.

He was referring to the couple sharing a passionate kiss on-screen. The pair sat on Sal’s couch together, watching a rom-com wrap up on the CRT-TV, and Sal’s sudden question took Larry by surprise.

“What?”

The brunet searched for Sal’s gaze, but Sally promptly turned his head away, his eyes focusing on the television screen. However, Larry didn’t as much as hesitate for a second before replying.

“Don’t be stupid! Who wouldn’t love you? You’re Sally Face! You’re perfect, dude.”

Hearing this, Sal turned around to face Larry, his pig-tails thwacking against his prosthetic. It was oddly adorable. Larry couldn’t see his expression, but he was pretty sure Sal was smiling at him, because his blue eyes twinkled with gratitude and something else that Larry couldn’t quite place.

“Thanks, Larry.”

Again, it was impossible to know what was going on beneath white and violet, but his voice carried more than enough, and the way he was beaming at Larry… It made his throat feel dry and his face flush with color. He blamed it on the sucky air conditioning of the apartment complex.

“Anytime, man.”

* * *

This conversation took place a week ago. It was something Larry couldn’t get out of his head, and it changed his entire way of looking at his best friend. Sure, Sally had expressed his insecurities to him before, but never had he been quite as open and vulnerable as he was in that very moment. Asking Larry, the one who was sure he loved Sally more than anyone else, if _he_ thought the bluenette would ever be loved like two fictional characters did each other.

Larry wasn’t sure if he should be offended or ashamed that Sally doubted his self-worth like that. Offended, because he thought it was obvious to Sal that Larry loved him, or ashamed because he hadn’t shown it enough. Either way, this was a wake-up call to the brunet. A sign, of sorts, that he should start showing his friends, and especially _Sally_ , more appreciation.

So the following weekend, when he had made sure everyone in the group chat’s schedule was cleared, Larry suggested that they get together and meet up at their favorite coffee shop. After everyone had agreed to the hang-out, he called to Sally on his walkie-talkie.

“Hey, Sal, wanna go to the shop together?”

Only a moment passed before the walkie’s speaker fizzed to life.

“Roger that. I’ll be down at yours in a sec.”

Larry smiled to himself. The waĺkies were probably a little cliché, but he loved them. The talks they shared on them could last for hours (even as his mom yelled at him when it was 2 am to go the fuck to sleep) and some of his fondest memories with Sal were built around them.

Sure enough, there were three rapid knocks on the front door not too much later after they had hung up. Larry jumped up from his bed, grabbed his phone and a jacket to go get the door. When he swung it open, the sight that greeted him had him smiling from ear to ear. It was getting cold outside, so Sal dressed appropriately, wearing a red scarf and a pair of fuzzy earmuffs. On top of that, he had ditched his everyday ripped jeans for a pair of brown, checkered pants with a wide belt. He looked really cute.

“Sally Face,” greeted Larry.

“Larry Face.”

“You look pretty,” he said, hoping bot to lay it on too thick.

"Ready to head out?"

Sally blinked a couple of times, taken aback, but hopefully not in a _bad_ way.

“... Y- Yeah, sure.”

* * *

The walk to the coffee shop was mostly quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Sal and Larry didn’t need to fill the silence with unnecessary chatter just because, and Larry liked that about their relationship. There was no bullshit, no dishonesty. Well, not from Larry’s side, anyway. But it was hard to imagine that Sal was just pretending to like him, or hanging with him out of sympathy.

The brunet was quick to snap out of those thoughts - no need to bring down the mood - and instead, he focused on the world around him. As shifty as Nockfell was, it had its perks, too. Like how the streets weren’t constantly occupied by pedestrians rushing about, and how untouched the environment looked, left in peace to do its thing. Autumn was fresh upon them and you could almost smell it in the air. The scent of damp earth, of humidity and crisp in the air, it was nice.

Then, intruding his thoughts, Sally shivered beside him, and Larry picked up on it immediately, glancing in his direction. The bluenette was rubbing his hands together frantically, his teeth chattering beneath the prosthetic.

“You cold?”

“I should’ve brought my fucking gloves…” muttered Sal in response and, eyeing his pale hands, Larry took a leap of faith and grabbed one of them in his own.

The response was instantaneous, Sally flinched and exhaled a breathy “Oh,” but he didn’t pull away. Larry kept looking forward as to avoid tripping over his own feet, because it felt as if his heart was beating at a million miles per minute, holding Sal’s - in comparison - smaller hand in his. His hands _were_ pretty cold.

When a moment had passed and Larry was silently praying that Sal wouldn’t question him about this (although it would be totally legitimate to question him about it), Sal laced their fingers together, squeezing Larry’s hand in thanks. The brunet hoped the contact did something for the other boy, because he himself was _burning_ at this point. He could feel Sal’s eyes on him and without needing to look his way, he was certain he was grinning smugly at Larry right then.

* * *

“Eyy, the inseparable duo’s here!” yelled Neil, Todd’s boyfriend, the two of them had claimed a booth along with Ashley and they were all waving Larry and Sal over. Larry made sure to let go of Sal's hand before they made an entrance, he didn’t want to raise any questions about their relationship (or at least more than there already _were_ ), and besides, he had enough of his own.

“Good to see you guys!” exclaimed Sal as he took a seat next to Ash, and Larry sat down on his other side.

“Yeah, glad you could make it. So what’s up?”

“Well, we were discussing if Minecraft should be awarded game of the year or not…” Ash explained, to Todd’s apparent disgust.

Sal and Larry shared a look as the ginger-haired boy chugged his coffee with a scary amount of determination, looking like he was about to give Ashley a piece of his mind.

“Absolutely not! Saying Minecraft deserves the ‘Game Of The Year’ award is like saying John F Kennedy should get a ‘President of the year’ award. It just doesn’t make any sense! I mean, Kennedy was great _then_ , but his reign was decades ago, and there have been many sufficient presidents after him.”

“Do you think it’s any wiser to get Trump that award then, Babe?” teased Neil, laughing as his boyfriend literally groaned aloud, making a grimace.

“Please, don’t say his name, it brings the mood down.”

They all shared a laugh, and Sal and Larry ordered themselves some bean juice, all while they happily listened to the others' discussion. The group talked about everything and nothing, from the meaning of life to memes. It felt real good to spend time with all of his friends again. But in spite of all of that, it was hard for the brunet to put all of his concentration into the topic they were chatting about, because Sally had scooted awfully close to him. So close in fact, that their arms were pressed together from shoulder to elbow.

Sal didn’t acknowledge it, he didn’t seem the least bit bothered even, and it kind of infuriated Larry. How was it fair that Sal was so cool with all of this, while Larry was a sweaty, nervous mess?

So to even the scores out, Larry decided to make the next move. While Sally was distracted, laughing at something that Ashley had said, Larry placed a hand on top of Sally’s knee. Nothing inappropriate, he didn’t move his hand upward - as a matter of fact, he didn’t move his hand _at all._ He held his breath, there was no way Sal could think the touch was just an accidental nudge now.

And yet, when Sal glanced at him and Larry looked straight across the table, pretending to be extremely interested in what Todd was talking about - but if he was being honest, he hasn’t registered a single word that had been said since he touched Sal. Sal lifted any doubt and fear from Larry’s mind and simultaneously knocked the air out of his lungs by laying his own hand on top of Larry’s. He moved his thumb in small circles over the back of Larry’s hand, and when the brunet worked up the courage to face him, Sally was back to focusing on the rest of their friends. Larry knew he should do the same, but it was difficult enough for him just to keep his composure with Sal’s hand atop of his own.

* * *

They lay strewn across a couch they had somehow managed to get up into Larry’s treehouse. The day had gone by quickly and at the same time mind-numbingly slow, this change of pace in their relationship going unmentioned was driving Larry crazy.

Now it was dark outside and both boys had just gotten home after saying goodbye to the rest of the group. Ash, Todd and Neil were heading over to Todd’s place to play a game of D&D, and although that sounded like a blast, Sal said something about being tired and so, Larry followed him home. Besides, this might give Larry an opportunity to tell the bluenette how much he meant to him.

They passed a joint between them, neither caring about the fruity scent that lay in the air, and Larry started when Sal boldly came forth with what had apparently been on his mind.

“You’ve been weirdly affectionate today.”

Larry almost choked on the blunt he was holding, sent into a coughing fit which made Sal wheeze out an innocuous laugh, his hands covering his face even though he was wearing the prosthetic.

“Sorry, don’t choke on our drugs! I mean, I don't _mind_ it, but I still wanted to check on you. You’re not like, dying, are you?” giggled Sal, taking the poorly-rolled joint back from the brunet and lifting his prosthetic just enough to place it between his lips, inhaling sharply.

Catching sight of patches of marred skin had Larry reeling, all he wanted to do was kiss every inch of that beautiful face and tell Sal how much he loved him. He supposed he would have to suffice with one of those, to begin with.

“No, I’m not fuckin’ dying, you goof.”

“What is it, then?” pressed the other boy, eyes fixated on Larry’s, and in return, Larry shrugged his shoulders, smiling dumbly up at Sal from his seat in a bean bag in front of the couch. The reply came so easily to him.

“I just wanna show you how much I love you, Sally Face. If you don’t like it, just say the word and I’ll stop.”

Sal’s eyes widened and a silence fell over the room, heavy in contrast to the smell of the cheap weed. Perhaps the haze of the drugs helped prevent Larry from panicking, but his mind was still racing like crazy, his heart thumping violently against his ribcage. Then, the bluenette let out a huff, reaching over the armrest on the sofa to put out the joint in an ashtray on the windowsill. Larry couldn’t do anything else but sit there and watch, helpless. Was Sally about to leave? Had Larry been mistaken all along?

But when Sally shot up from the couch, he didn’t head for the ladder which Larry had half expected him to do. No, instead, he straddled Larry’s lap, unclasping the straps behind his head and lifting the prosthetic off his face.

This wasn’t a first that Larry had seen Sally’s face, but it was something extraordinary every time, and Larry felt honored that Sal trusted him enough to let him see him without the prosthetic on.

 _‘Thank you for not looking away’ had been the first thing Sally said when his prosthetic accidentally came off and Larry saw his face for the first time._ The real question here was; why in the ever-loving fuck would Larry look away? Sally might be scarred, he might have deep cuts and gashes littering his face, his skin irrevocably damaged, but he was still beautiful. Not _because_ of those scars, of course, but with them all the same. 

“Lar…?”

“Yeah, Sal?” breathed Larry, torn between letting his greed take over, to roam his eyes up and down the other boy’s face and meeting his remarkably blue eyes.

He didn’t have to ponder on it for too long, however, when Sally wound his arms around his neck and he whispered, barely audible in the quiet room: “Kiss me.”

That was all Larry needed. With one hand snaking around Sal’s waist and the other cupping his face ever-so-softly, he closed the last few inches of space between them and pressed his lips to Sally’s.

He kept the kiss brief as to let Sal decide if he was comfortable with it, but it took some serious effort for him to pull back. When their lips touched there was a rush of electricity shooting down his spine and spreading throughout his body, making his fingertips tingle. The look on Sal’s face was worth parting their kiss for, however, as his eyes were lidded, blown so that his pupils almost swallowed the blue of his irises, his jaw slack as he stared at Larry in a way he never had before.

Larry swallowed.

“Was that uh- okay?” he asked, and the smile that curled the corners of Sally’s mouth was a response in of itself.

“Yeah. I love you too, you know that, right? I really, _really_ fucking love you.”

And with that, Sal tangled his hands in Larry’s hair and gently pushed forward to reconnect their lips in another, scorching kiss. As Larry’s arms wound tighter around the bluenette’s frame, he couldn’t help but grin into the kiss. All the anxiety he had worked up during the day had been completely unnecessary after all, and Larry couldn’t be happier about being wrong. With the drugs in his system, it only seemed to enhance the emotions that were flowing through his body when he kissed Sal, pulling him flush against his chest, nibbling his chapped lips with gentle movements. He shuddered as Sal’s hands moved deftly in his hair, carding through it and softly tugging on it when Larry swiped his tongue across the seam of his lips, silently asking for permission. And Sally made this soft little noise in the back of his throat, parting his lips for the brunet to take the lead, to delve his tongue into the moist heat of Sal’s mouth. Larry hummed against Sal’s lips, relishing in the little noises of pleasure that he elicited from the other as he poured all the adoration and love he had for him into the kiss.

They only parted when they realized that air was, in fact, a necessity, clinging onto each other and panting. Sal’s face was adorably red and his eyes were hazy, unfocused. Larry put one palm up to Sally’s scarred cheek, fingertips brushing over the bumps and unevenness there. Sal keened into the touch, smiling sheepishly up at him.

“You’re gorgeous. Like, absolutely fucking gorgeous. I’m the luckiest guy alive.”

“Stop it,” laughed Sal, flustered and still just as stunning, Larry thought, leaning in to pepper his face with small kisses, intending to make Sal as red as physically possible.

“But it’s true! What, am I supposed to just let it go unsaid? That’d be a crime.”

“You should shut up or I’ll shut you up myself,” retorted Sal, pushing Larry back into the bean bag and hovering over him with a sly grin spreading over his features.

 _Fuck, I’m in love,_ Larry thought.

“Do your worst.”

And Sal did.

They made out like there was no tomorrow, pawing at each other’s clothes and exploring the other’s weak spots, eager fingers moving over flushed skin. It was something euphoric that Larry never had felt before, with _anyone_ , and they probably would have gone further if it wasn’t for the voice that called their names outside the treehouse.

“Lar-Bear, are you up there? Dinner’s ready!”

Larry looked up at Sal, whose hair was a mess, his lips kissed swollen and red and his pretty, pale neck covered in red and purple marks. Larry let out a low chuckle, kissing Sally one more time before standing up, adjusting his clothes.

“Uh, yeah, be right there, mom!” he yelled in response down to Lisa, helping Sal up and grinning like a fool as the bluenette pulled down his shirt that had ridden halfway up his chest - this was _definitely_ an accident and not at all Larry’s fault. 

“We should probably-...”

“Yeah, of course.”

They both stumbled over their words, equally embarrassed, and Larry felt strangely proud of being the one to make Sal lose his composure. The bluenette fished his phone out of a crease on the couch and he suddenly lit up, as if remembering something.

“Shit, I gotta text Ash about this!”

“Ash?” echoed the brunet back at him stupidly.

Not that he minded if people knew about him and Sally, but he didn’t even know how Ashley would respond to that. Sal deflated a little, frowning.

“Oh, uh, I mean, if you’re okay with it, that is. She’s just kinda been on my ass since I told her about my feelings for you and-”

“ _ **What?!** ”_ Larry shouted, cutting him off. He didn’t expect that at all.

So Sal has felt the same for Larry since longer back? And Ash has known about it all this time? No wonder she gave Larry those looks every time he and Sally sat together!

“Oh, yeah, she won’t stop nagging me about it. You’ve no idea.”

“When did you-...”

“Months ago, dude. In fact, I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you the first time we met, but I didn’t tell Ash until just a while ago,” shrugged Sally, as if what he said was no big deal.

Larry blinked, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and blinked again. As Sally put his prosthetic back on, getting ready to leave, he saw Larry’s expression and stopped in his tracks. Laughing, he approached the brunet and poked him in the cheek to coax him out of his trance.

“You look like I just revealed who was behind 9/11 or something. Is it really that surprising?”

Larry grabbed onto Sal’s forearms, grounding himself to avoid falling over from the lingering shock that seized hold of him.

“Yes! It’s very surprising, Sal!” he almost yelled.

So Sal was telling him that they both had been toeing around each other like idiots, both in love, but neither brave enough to say anything until now? _Are you fucking kidding him?!_

“Oh, well, I thought it was obvious, but then again, maybe so did you. We can talk about this later, but for now, we should probably haul ass before Lisa comes back out again to scream at us,” Sal suggested, lifting his prosthetic up a little and rising to his tippy toes to press a kiss to Larry’s cheek.

Larry thought that they would definitely have to talk later, but he pulled himself together so that they could go inside. If his mom didn't say anything about smelling weed on them when they came back inside, she'd probably pick up on the fact that something had changed between them, at the very least.

And something had changed, but at the same time, it felt natural, like everything up 'til now had lead up to this moment. They were still best friends, and _nothing_ could change that.

Larry let Sal descend down the ladder first, his face burning as he called out to the bluenette.

“You can uh- You can tell Ash if you want.”

“Sweet! C’mon, I don’t wanna miss your mom’s awesome cooking!”

**Author's Note:**

> BONUS: 
> 
> That same night, Ash got a message from Sally Face. 
> 
> Sal: Hey Ash.
> 
> Ash: Yeah? What’s up?
> 
> Sal: Guess what?
> 
> Ash: Oh idk, you finally hooked up w Larry?
> 
> Sal: Yup.
> 
> Ash: Hah! Good one. But fr, what is it?
> 
> Sal: No, I did. We kissed.
> 
> Sal: Well, made out is probably more accurate. Whatever, we did it. 
> 
> Ash: You’re not kidding.
> 
> Sal: I’m not. :)
> 
> Ash: OMFG
> 
> Ash: SAL U SLY MF!
> 
> Sally then sent her a pic of him smiling from ear to ear with Larry’s arm around his shoulder, Larry kissing him on the cheek. Ashley dropped her phone and started screaming in glee, probably waking everyone in the household. Totally worth it, though.


End file.
